Ex-Reliance Finance MD embezzled Tk 3,000cr

While he was the managing director of Reliance Finance Ltd, a non-bank financial institution, Proshanta Kumar Halder made his relatives directors of three other leasing companies to swindle money.

Together, they misappropriated Tk 3,000 crore of depositors, finds the Anti-Corruption Commission in its enquiry.

"The money was transferred to 83 accounts ... ," said an ACC official, preferring to be unnamed, adding that the accounts belong to companies and people that exist only on paper.

The anti-graft body yesterday froze the 83 accounts where Tk 3,000 crore had been transferred.

The three leasing companies in which his relatives were made directors are: People's Leasing and Financial Services, International Leasing and Financial Services Ltd, and FAS Finance and Investment Ltd.

Sources said the enquiry was on the final stage and a case would be filed soon against those involved in the corruption.

Also known as PK Halder, Proshanta was also appointed as the managing director of NRB Global Bank in 2015. Before taking over the charge, he had been the MD of Reliance Finance Ltd since 2009.

His misdeeds came to the fore after the ACC launched an enquiry against the casino kingpins last year.

On January 8 this year, the ACC lodged a case against Proshanta for amassing around Tk 274.91 crore beyond known sources of income.

During the enquiry, the graft watchdog found questionable transactions of about Tk 1,636 crore in his personal and interest-involved bank accounts.

The ACC found that Proshanta had transactions of about Tk 240.87 crore in his accounts, Tk 160 crore in his mother's account and Tk 1,235.7 crore in other interest-involved bank accounts.

ACC Deputy Director Gulshan Anowar Prodhan is now enquiring the suspicious transactions.

Sources said intelligence report regarding the misappropriation of money from the four leasing companies reached the ACC.

According to the report, the money in the name of loans was transferred to 39 business organisations that exist on paper only.

On Wednesday, the graft watchdog asked the authorities concerned of the leasing companies to submit all documents, including approval, proposal, and disbursement of loan.

Besides, it has asked nine businessmen to appear before it between August 18 and 19 for quizzing.

The nine are: Hal International's directors Swapan Kumar Mistri, Kazi Momrez Mahmud, Pritish Kumar Halder, Amitav Adhikari and its managing director Susmita Saha, RB Enterprise proprietor Ratan Kumar Biswas, Anan Chemical directors Uzzal Kumar Nandi and Anita Kaur, and Reptiles Farm Chairman Shimu Roy.

On October 23 last year, the ACC issued travel ban against Proshanta and 21 others. Later, his travel ban was challenged at the High Court which upheld the ban and the Supreme Court also upheld the HC order on February 26 this year.

Ironically, Proshanta is now in Canada. He has been the director of a Canadian corporation P&L Hal Holding Inc along with his brother Pritish Kumar Halder and wife Susmita Saha since July 3, 2014, according to records in the North American country.

Earlier this year, former deputy governor of Bangladesh Bank Khondker Ibrahim Khaled was made the chairman of International Leasing and Financial Services (ILFSL) to salvage the company.

He assumed the charge on February 5, but resigned on March 3.

After his resignation, he said, "The financial health of ILFSL has been deteriorating since 2016, when Proshanta Kumar Halder bought a huge number of shares to establish control over the company."

Proshanta appointed relatives to the board of directors and management positions of the non-bank financial institutions to embezzle money, said Khaled.